The sun peeks through the clouds as I type, breaking open the sky, blue pushing white further into the mountains... bringing visibility for fireworks this evening as we ring in the new energy, new decade, new year!
But that wasn't how it was this morning; pitch black and dumping snow when we woke, adding what seemed like another 6" to the 12" that was up there.
This week is our early week, the ski area opens 15 minutes early during this busy 7 days between the holidays to cut down on the morning lines- brilliant for us early risers, I tell you. We were in the Gondy line behind the legions of First Trackers at 8:00am -a nod to all those hard working blue coats that have to "suffer" through 4 extra powder runs bright and early- and we were at first chair of Four Points by 8:10. As Brooksy said, "We'll catch em by their second lap up Sundown."
We blazed a knee-deep trail off Four Points to Rainbow-Moonlight; many took Sunset but there's nothing like that reliably fresh-groomer Rainbow that makes that 10" new feel like you're a rockstar. Less obstacles, less work; and conserving energy early today was wise. We'd made 3 runs by 9 and didn't want to come up for air. The Clocks, Tornado, Sideburn, Face... you name it, there was at least 8" on it, and up to 18 in the trees.
Nature squeezed in one last hurrah for '09.
On the way down I spied someone poached Mother Nature's Atlas-sized bumps, that looks to be ready soon! And Conce's open, but not much powder left on it from this high alt. storm. But there's Champagne all over that upper mountain, by the truckloads. And while it was completely fogged in and dumping those perfect, dry, symetrical flakes while we were up there, it's bright and blue as the Caribbean Sea outside now.
Sometimes I have to just look around and say, "Do I really live here?"
Forecast brings us more we hear, this break in the clouds is just a tease. We hope for a January to remember for our 5th Annual All Mountain Ski Camp starting on the 11th... if you know the dance, do it for us!
See you in the deep- AND HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!
thanks Jimbo for the break from filming!